or seems to have been disappointed, when he found that
all these precautions, which were probably nothing but covers to his
ambition, had not procured him the confidence of the public. Though
Cromwell's administration was less odious to every party than that of
any other party, yet was it entirely acceptable to none. The royalists
had been instructed by the king to remain quiet, and to cover themselves
under the appearance of republicans; and they found in this latter
faction such inveterate hatred against the protector, that they
could not wish for more zealous adversaries to his authority. It was
maintained by them, that the pretence of liberty and a popular election
was but a new artifice of this great deceiver, in order to lay asleep
the deluded nation, and give himself leisure * rivet their chains more
securely upon them: that in the instrument of government he openly
declared his intention of still retaining the same mercenary army, by
whose assistance he had subdued the ancient established government, and
who would with less scruple obey him in overturning, whenever he should
please to order them, that new system which he himself had been pleased
to model: that being sensible of the danger and uncertainty of all
military government, he endeavored to intermix some appearance, and but
an appearance, of civil administration, and to balance the army by a
seeming consent of the people: that the absurd trial which he had made
of a parliament, elected by himself, appointed perpetually to elect
their successors, plainly proved, that he aimed at nothing but temporary
expedients, was totally averse to a free republican government, and
possessed not that mature and deliberate reflection which could qualify
him to act the part of a legislator: that his imperious character, which
had betrayed itself in so many incidents, could never seriously submit
to legal limitations; nor would the very image of popular government be
longer upheld than while conformable to his arbitrary will and pleasure:
and that the best policy was to oblige him to take off the mask at once;
and either submit entirely to that parliament which he had summoned, or,
by totally rejecting its authority, leave himself no resource but in his
seditious and enthusiastic army.

In prosecution of these views, the parliament, having heard the
protector's speech, three hours long,[*] and having chosen Lenthal for
their speaker, immediately entered into a discussion of